Citizen concerns about the Amador County Transportation Commission (ACTC) have prompted the Amador County Board of Supervisors to examine the structure of the commission.

The board discussed the make up of the commission’s governing board and the possibility of transforming the commission into a joint powers agency (JPA) at its meeting last week. While no action was taken, the board chose to hold a public study session on both topics to be held Sept. 9 at 1:30 p.m. in the supervisor’s chambers at the John C. Begovich Building, located at 500 Argonaut Dr.

District Four Supervisor and board Chairman Louis Boitano said the impetus for the review of ACTC’s membership sprang from constituents questioning why there were no supervisors on the commission.

“I feel strongly that we should have one supervisor on the commission,” Boitano said Monday morning. “And I think the board generally agrees. There is a feeling the commission is somewhat weighted on the side of the cities without enough representation for the county.”

It wasn’t always so. Prior to 1990, there were two supervisors serving as ACTC commissioners. However, a statute was passed disallowing supervisors serving as commissioners at the same time. That statute was struck down recently, however, making it again possible for supervisors to serve as commissioners.

The commission is currently comprised of three members appointed by the board of supervisors and three members appointed by the city selection committee. Serving on behalf of the supervisors are Bill Breiner, Richard Leary and Amador County Public Works Director Rod Schuler. Representing the cities are Ione Mayor Jim Ulm, Jackson Mayor Gene Taylor and Amador City Councilman Mark McKenna.

The membership of the commission has remained the same for the past eight years. Charles Field, Executive Director of ACTC, told the board that the membership of ACTC has been reviewed on at least two prior occasions by the supervisors since 1990.

During last week’s meeting, Field spoke regarding the different aspects of ACTC’s responsibilities. These include overseeing and serving as the lead agency for both state and local transportation projects. Field added that the responsibilities of ACTC have increased dramatically in the past few years to actually include serving as lead agency on the Pine Grove Safe Routes to School project.

The commission’s chairman, Bill Breiner, also spoke at last week’s meeting. “I have never seen any conflict with the three to three makeup,” he said. “I don’t see how having you serve on the commission would help. Nothing is ever kept from you; you get the minutes from the meetings, the agendas and we give you a monthly report on what the commission is doing. No decisions are made that are not made in front of the public.” Breiner added that all decisions regarding transportation planning are ultimately approved by the board and that Schuler represents the board in his capacity as a commissioner.

Taylor spoke at the meeting as well, giving the cities'’ perspective on the situation. “I have yet to see any city representative push his city more,” Taylor said. “We all live in Amador County. Don’t label the cities as being the problem. I’ve worked with Charles (Field) for over 15 years and I have never met someone with more integrity and intelligence in this field. The board has representation there as it is.”

“If we are receiving comments from the public about sitting on the commission, we should look at it, but I don’t think we really need to be there,” District Three Supervisor Richard Vinson said. “Rod Schuler already represents the county on the board.”

District Two Supervisor Richard Forster felt the board should hold a study session on the issue to allow interested parties to attend. “Certain segments of the public are left out and are only allowed to participate in so much discussion before they are shut out of the process,” he said. “The public thinks the ACTC staff may be going beyond what the commission wants.”

Speaking to that issue was Jim Edmonds, who has been critical of the ACTC staff policies and the commission itself. “There seems to be a perception that the public is getting the information it needs and that is not true,” Edmonds said. “We are entitled to that information. We don’t think ACTC is picking up all the information it needs to make decisions. We need to have someone on the commission that we can go to so we can express our feelings, rather than getting up in front of the whole commission for something that pertains only to us.”

“Residents of the Ridge Road and New York Ranch Road areas have serious concerns because travelers are using their roads as a de facto Jackson bypass and as a thoroughfare to the casino,” Field said Monday. “We at ACTC understand that. But their accusations that we have not been responsive and that we are attempting to widen Ridge Road to five lanes are way out of line. We invite and encourage public participation in the transportation planning process.”

Field said that the residents of the Ridge Road and New York Ranch Road areas have not been patient with the planning process.

“Edmonds has never come to any of the ACTC meetings,” he said. “He and the other residents don’t understand that we asked that widening Ridge be considered along with other alternatives as part of the countywide transportation plan update. The board of supervisors has subsequently reaffirmed the policy that Highway 88 should be emphasized for east/west traffic and access to the casino, not Ridge Road or New York Ranch Road. The new countywide Regional Transportation Plan will reflect this policy.” Field added that the plan would be available for review and comment this fall.

The issue of turning the ACTC into a JPA as a way to more clearly define the commissions roles and responsibilities was also discussed at last week’s meeting. Field said the purpose of forming the JPA would be to allow ACTC to build future highway projects, like the impending Highway 88/Pine Grove corridor project, and to maintain control over those projects by contracting with private contractors for design and environmental clearance.

“This came about simply because Caltrans took so long on the Highway 49 bypass design and environmental clearance,” Field said. “By forming the JPA, ACTC could produce projects faster, cheaper and with more consistency with what the local community wants rather than saying this is Caltrans’ standards and this is what you get.”

However, Field said ACTC cannot function in that capacity with the limited authority it now has. “There needs to be a JPA to define ACTC’s roles and responsibilities,” he said. “We need to be sure the cities and the county want to take this next big step.”

The board of supervisors has, in fact, been moving in the direction of forming a JPA for some time. On May 14, 2002, the board approved a resolution supporting ACTC’s position to expand its role in the delivery of the county’s upcoming major transportation projects. The resolution supports ACTC’s investigation of an expanded role in the construction of several regional transportation projects.

However, questions were raised by County Counsel John Hahn regarding the authority of ACTC to form a JPA by itself. Hahn said that only the cities and county can form a JPA and that ACTC could not be a member of that JPA. The model would be similar to the Pine Grove Safe Routes to School grant, in which the county took lead agency status and contracted with ACTC to deliver the project.

In the end, the board decided to hold study sessions to discuss both the membership issues of ACTC and the JPA proposal.